Balanced valve



July 14, 1936. F. c. cHADBoRN BALANCED VALVE FilUed Jan. l5, 1952 22/59 fff z5 "illu Rif/f Patented Y July 14, 1936 UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE can VALVE Freuen-lee. phantom, Newburgh, N. r..

Application .lanuary l5, 1932, Serial No. 586,789

13 Dlaims. (im. liti-46.5)

This invention relates to fluid controlling valves and is herein illustrated-as embodied in a valve especially adapted to be operated by a weak .source of power for controlling the flow of air, although the same valve is also useful for controlling liquids. The form of the valve herein illustrated is especially designed to enable distant devices to be operated by air or other iiud pressure coming through the valve, the valve being so easily operated that it oers no appreciable' resistance to the highly sensitive power of an ordinary thermostat. This application is a continuation in part of my abandoned application Serial No. 317,660.

in the forml herein illustrated the rotating member of the valve consists of a plug adapted to be rotated in a seat so that certain delivery passages or certain discharge passages in the plug selectively register with passages in the seat `or body of the valve, with the result that a pipe beyond the valve becomes either a delivery pipe or a discharge pipe, according to the rotated position of the plug. In the form illustrated the fluid enters the valve through a central bore in the plug and the bore leads to the delivery passages, thus making it possible to completely balance the fluid pressure around the sides of the plug by cutting the passages symmetrically on the periphery of the plug.

In therform illustrated, the plug is tapered and fluidenters the central bore at the small end of V the plug, thus making it possible to pivot the.,

t. plug at its large end outside the uid. This keeps the whole thrust of the plug on an easily accessible bearing, and in the form illustrated, the thrust is taken by a floating pivot, with the result that side thrust on the plug is practically eliminated.

When the Valve is built in this form it is found that the plug turns Vmost easily if it is made of vshort grained metal .such as brass, having approximately the composition: copper 80 oz., tin 4 oz., spelter 3 oz., lead 1% oz.

Such brass receives and retains a high, almost glass-like polish, with the result that the plug turns easily in its seat. Valves have been built which were turned by blowing with the breath-on Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 shows a double valve adapted to control a piston.

Figure. 2 is a cross-section on the line t-t of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a valve having a preferred form 5 of pivot. f

Figure 5 shows the coupled two valves, pivoted in the preferred form.

In one position of the valve in the form shown fluid coming from a pipe lil enters the-central plug outside the bore lll, back toward the middle of the length of the plug passing there from the passages it into delivery longitudinal slots l5.

, From these slots l5 the fluid is shown as passing into corresponding slots it lying in the seat il of the valve and registering with the slots i5,

and thence the fluid passes into an annular openl ing i3 in a hood or casing l@ in which the seat is mounted.

The annular opening it is shown as delivering the fluid to a pipe 2t through which the iluid 25 passes to do whatever work it is intended to do,

as, for example tofmove the piston 2l.

lf it is desired.v to allow the piston 2i to move back, the plugr it may be rotated a fraction of in the pipe 2U to flow back into the annular opening it, and through these slots 2d to flow into small longitudinal exhaust passages t5 to an annular passage 2t formed by a shoulder 21 which lies on the outside oi the plug. To close the other annular side of the opening 26, the seat Il is provided with an internal annular ilange 28 which forms a substantially huid-light journal bearing on the projecting small end 29 of the plug l2.

The iluid is shown as escapingfrom the annular passage it by anannular passage 30a in the seat il, which opens into an opening 30 open to the air. It will be seen that the delivery slots I5 alternate with the exhaust slots 24, and vthat between any twoA slots there is provided a solid surface 3l of the plug it. I

As a result the solid surfaces 3l may lap only some thousandths of an inch beyond any seat slot it, thus enabling a minimum turning of the plug I2 by its lever, 22 to shift the valve from delivery to exhaust position.

The seat I'I is preferably of the same short grained brass as the plug, and sweated into the hood I9 with solder, so that the only metal facing the plug is the seat I'I.

The plug I2 is easily manufactured by boring the exhaust passages 25 in a solid block 32 of the metal in which the longitudinal slots I5 and 24 have been cut, as by a miller, until the passages open into the proper slots, thus avoiding any need for boring with radial drills. Then the longitudinal delivery passages I4 are bored from the other end in the same way. Then a central bore 33 is drilled through the plug, partly cutting into the passages I4, and a tube 34 inserted into the bore 33 to make the small end 29 of the plug I2 and extend out beyond the annular passage 26. The tube 34 is held in place by soft solder, for many kinds of valves.

Then the plug I2 is mounted upon a close tting stub 35 by solder so as to unite the plug body 32 to the end Wall 36 and form the chamber I3. In manufacturing the plug, the enlarged end wall 36 when first thus made fast to the plug forms part of a temporary threaded base, so the plug, complete except for cutting off its base, may be set up in a lathe and turned down to the desired size.

After cutting off the temporary base, the base may have a bearing depression 31 cut in the center of its larger end, and be drilled transversely radially as at 38 to enable the lever 22 to be easily* mounted.

The valve is made complete by threading a bracket 39 on to the hood I9, and threading a screw 40 terminating in a thrust bearing 4I into the bracket so that the bearing 4I supports a floating shaft 42 against the bearing depression 3l and holds the plug I2 in its seat I'I.

The seat Il will fit the plug I2 exactly because of the floating thrust bearing shaft 42. Thus a large bearing surface at practically no friction loss is provided for the valve and the exact close t needed can be obtained by adjusting the thrust bearing screw 46. In practice it is found that a perceptible end movement of the plug, apparently less than a thousandth of an inch, is advantageous. It is found that a valve having a main body of the plug I2 which is one inch long and one-fourth inch average diameter and tapering 53/1000 of an inch in its length, makes a satisfactory valve to be operated by a thermostat and gives ample surface for eight longitudinal slots I5 and 24 around the periphery, thus effectively balancing the plug I2 in its seat I'I.

The taper includes the seat flange 28 and the small end 29 of the tube 34. It is found that the tube 34 may be of ordinary brass without causing undue friction when the flange 28 bears in it.

For use with thermdstats, to minimize friction in working, each plug is preferably ground in its seat, rst with the colloidal clay known as mully, then with the nest precipitated chalk. If emery is wholly avoided it is found thatthe desired glass-like surface is thus obtained, giving an ac curate t, so that it is possible to avoid leakage and yet loosen the plug I2 a few thousandths of an inch in its seat I'I by turning the screw 40, with the result that the plug I2 seems to float in its pressure fluid.

Where two united valves, tapering in opposite directions are used, as in Fig. 1, the hoods I9 may be separated by a thrust pin 43. A nner adjustment of valve plugs in their seats can usually be obtained by building separate plugs I2, as shown animera in Fig. 5, with a single floating bearing pin 42 between them in sunken bearings 3l. The plugs I2 may be turned simultaneously by a stem 45 which is fast to a second cross bar 46 adapted to engage in notches on forks 41 projecting from the plugs I2, and after turning by the notches to swing idly.

Having thus described certain embodiments of the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A balanced valve, including a casing, a plug therein, said casing having an annular space, said plug hving a circular series of alternate supply and waste ports therein, both series of ports being of equal area, the plug being adapted to be turned to either of two positions in the casing to operatively communicate either the supply or waste ports with said space whereby in both normal positions of the plug a like pressure will be had on opposite sides thereof, a sleeve interposed between the valve and the casing and having openings therein through which either the supply or waste ports communicate with the annular space, said plug having chambers adjacent its ends, one of said chambers constituting a waste chamber and having a Waste outlet, said plug having longitudinal passages connecting the Waste ports with 'the waste chamber, and longitudinal passages connecting the supply ports with the other of said chambers, and said valve having a central bore or supply passage communicating with the last 30 mentioned chamber.

2. A valve including a casing having a conical valve seat, a conical valve plug rotatable upon said seat and having an end thrust bearing, an abutment carried by the casing, and means embodied in said plug subject to fluid pressure for normally urging said plug longitudinally and against said abutment, said means including the larger end of said plug.

3. A valve including a casing having a conical valve seat, a conical valve plug rotatable upon said seat and having an end thrust bearing, an abutment carried by the casing, and means embodied in said plug subject to fluid pressure for normally urging said plug longitudinally and against said abutment, said means including the larger end of said plug and being operable by the pressure of fluid passing through said valve.

4. A valve including a casing having a conical valve seat, a conical valve plug rotatable upon said seat and having an end thrust bearing, an abutment carried by the casing, and means embodied in said plug subject to fluid pressure for normally urging said plug longitudinally and against said abutment, said means including the larger end of said plug and being operable by the pressure of fluid passing through said valve, and including a return bent passageway in said plug.

5. A valve including a casing having a conical valve seat, a conical valve plug rotatable upon said seat, and having an end thrust bearing, an abutment carried by the casing, and means embodied in said plug subject to fluid pressure for normally urging said plug longitudinally and against said abutment, said means including the larger end of said plug and being operable by the pressure of fluid passing through said valve, and including a return bent passageway in said plug formed by a Wall adjacent said bearing adapted to receive right-angularly directed pressure from fluid passing through said valve.

6. A valve for fluids including a member having a central bore for iiuid and symmetrically arranged peripheral longitudinal passages for fluid, a seat having a slight taper so that the member may seat itself, a frame for the seat providing a pairoi' annular passages around the member, one

adapted to communicate with said longitudinal passages and the other adapted to communicate with the other longitudinal passages, means for rotating the member to selectively bring certain of the peripheral passages into register with openings in the seat to permit iiuid to pass through the peripheral passages and seat openings into one or another of the annular passages.

7. A valve for fluids' including a member having a central bore for fluid and symmetrically arranged peripheral longitudinal passages for iluid, a seat having a slight taper in which the member iits, a frame for the seat providing an annular passage around the member, an extension of the tapering member closely iltting the seat adapted to be engaged by a handle whereby the member may be turned, to selectively bring certain of the peripheral passages into register with openings in the seat to permit iluid to pass through the peripheral passages and seat openings into the annular passages, a pivot in the frame forming an end thrust bearing to hold thee, member in the taper, and a floating thrust shaft between the pivot and the member.

8. A valve for fluids including a tapered memberhaving a central bore for fluid" and symmetrically arranged peripheral longitudinal passages extending in opposite directions away from peripheral medial openings, a frame forming an annular passage from said peripheral medial openings, a correspondingly tapered shell having peripheral medial openings adapted to register selectively with the tapered member openings, and these extending beyond the member to form an end passage connected with an exit, and into which certain of the longitudinal passages open, an end wall for the member forming a chamber beyond the bore so that fluid may pass along the bore through the chamber and then through the longitudinal passages if they register with the other peripheral medial openings in the shell so that the iiuid passes through these medial openings, and a pipe for leading away uid from the peripheral medial shell openings through the passage formed by the frame.

9. A device of the character described, including a casing, sleeves in the casing, and a pair of oppositely disposed alined balanced valves in the sleeves, said valves being operatively connected and adapted to be moved simultaneously, both of said valves having alternately arranged series of supply and waste ports of equal area, and said sleeves and casing being so constructed that when either the supply or waste ports are opened a like pressure will be had upon opposite sides of the valve.

l0. A valve including a casing forming a conical valve seat, a conical valve plug within said casing, the larger end of said valve including an end thrust bearing assembly, said valve including a central iluid passageway having an internal termination adjacent the larger end of said valve,

whereby fluid passing therethrough toward the larger end will bear against the end wall of said iluid passage within the valve to provide iiuid pressure for urging said plug away from the valve seat and against said thrust assembly. 5

1l. A valve including a casing forming a conical valve seat, a conical valve plug within said casing, the larger end of said valve including an end thrustbearing assembly, said valve including a central iiuid passageway having an internal 1o termination adjacent the larger end of said valve, whereby iiuid passing therethrough toward the larger end will bear against the end wall of said fluid passage within the valve to provide fluid pressure for urging said plug away from the valve seat and against said thrust assembly, said plug further including longitudinal passageways parallel to said iirst-mentioned passageway for permitting 4the passage of iluid through said valve without the use of said first-mentioned passageway.

12. A valve including a casing forming a conical valve seat, a conical valve plug within said casing, the larger end of said valve including an end thrust bearing assembly, said valve including a central fluid passageway having an internal termination adjacent the larger end of said valve, whereby fluid passing therethrough toward the larger end will bear against the end Wall of said iiuid passage within the valve to provide iiuid pressure for urging said plug away from the valve seat and against said thrust assembly, said plug further including longitudinal passageways parallel to said rst-mentioned passageway for permitting the passage of fluid through said valve without the-use of said first-mentioned passageway, said last-mentioned passageways extending through the smallerend of said plug to communicate with a chamber therebehind, whereby fluid pressure will be exerted against the smaller end of said plug to urge said plug toward said thrust assembly when said mst-mentioned passageway is not in use. r

13A valve having a body provided with an internally tapered valve seat having relatively narrow longitudinal slots therein, a conduit communicating therewith, a rotatable member seated in the valve seat and having longitudinal slots therein and passages leading in opposite directions from alternate slots, a supply conduit de- 'livering iluid to the small end of the rotatable variably with the body slots.

FREDERIC C. CHADBORN. 

